Philippe Massoud grew up Lebanon, spending a lot of time in his family’s hotel learning hospitality and cooking from the best. He was forced to leave his country during the civil war, arriving in the U.S. with a strong desire to pursue his culinary passion. That desire finally became a reality 15 years ago, when, after many fits and starts, he opened ilili in New York City, introducing Americans to Lebanese fine dining. The restaurant, whose name means “tell me” in colloquial Arabic Lebanese, fe...
Jan 04, 2024•34 min
Towards the end of every year, Technomic releases its annual predictions for the year ahead. Lizzy Freier, director of menu research and insights, worked with her team of researchers and analysts to compile Technomic’s report, “What’s in Store for 2024.” She joins the podcast to talk about the data-based trends that rose to the top. Freier digs into the report to reveal vivid details behind the predictions. Listen to find out how weather is impacting menus, why breakfast and brunch are rising in...
Dec 20, 2023•20 min
Joel Reynders was named VP of culinary and executive chef at Bar Louie just last May, and he hit the ground running. The 67-unit chain has long been a popular happy hour destination, but guests would order a drink or two and some nibbles and leave to have dinner someplace else. To fill that gap, Reynders—whose casual-dining experience includes Red Lobster, Darden, Tijuana Flats and more—developed a new collection of approachable, flavor-forward dinner entrees and sides. He also worked on filling...
Dec 14, 2023•27 min
Becky Boyd has worked at Outback Steakhouse most of her adult life, starting as a server and moving up to bar manager and eventually to her current position as Director of Menu Innovation & Strategy for all of Bloomin’ Brands. Bloomin’ is the parent company of Outback, Bonefish Grill and Carrabba’s Italian Grill. Outback is currently on an innovation tear, launching seasonal limited-time menus at a steady pace. The most recent promotions focused on Fall’s Swicy menu flavored with the sweet h...
Dec 07, 2023•28 min
Carl Sobocinski opened his first restaurant called Soby’s 26 years ago in Greenville, S.C., serving low-country cuisine along with a personalized brand of hospitality. More restaurants followed, and Sobocinski eventually formed Table 301 as the umbrella company that oversees them all. Now there six unique concepts, all within a three-block radius in Greenville, plus a food truck, two event venues and a catering arm. Diego Campos is executive chef at one of the six called CAMP, a modern American ...
Nov 30, 2023•31 min
Entrepreneurship runs through the veins of Andrew Munday, co-founder of Local Kitchens, a micro food hall that collects small and independent restaurants under one roof. He’s also been involved in six other startups, including delivery giant Door Dash, and is now on a mission to help existing restaurants grow and partner with operators and chefs to create new concepts. Local Kitchens’ most recent collaboration is with Andy Ricker, chef-founder of Pok Pok in Portland, Ore., who is recognized worl...
Nov 16, 2023•23 min
Pepper Lunch currently has five restaurants in the U.S., but CEO Troy Hooper is on a mission to accelerate growth into both traditional and nontraditional spaces. The fast casual was founded by a Japanese master chef more than 30 years ago, and now counts hundreds of locations around the world. The focus of the menu is a dish called Beef Pepper Rice, a favorite meal in Japan that’s usually served lazy Susan-style in family homes. Pepper Lunch pared down this family-style dish to a personal-sized...
Nov 09, 2023•32 min
At its five locations in the Chicagoland area, Beatrix pulls in crowds all day long. Andrew Ashmore, corporate chef and partner in the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants has created a widely appealing menu with elevated touches such as house-baked breads and pastries, handcrafted cocktails and locally sourced ingredients. The varied menu includes plenty of vegetarian items for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch—the busiest meal occasion, said Ashmore. Listen as he describes how his culinary journey...
Nov 02, 2023•24 min
Yia Vang did not set out to be a restaurateur, but after his Hmong food popup took off in Minneapolis, he realized this was his mission. Vang emigrated to the U.S. from Southeast Asia with his family as a young child, seeking refuge among other Hmong people in Minnesota. His popup found a home in a trailer and eventually started operating as Union Hmong Kitchen in Minneapolis’ Graze Food Hall. He is now working with partners to open a full-service brick-and-mortar restaurant called Vinai in 2024...
Oct 26, 2023•26 min
As chef-partner in Pomegranate Hospitality, Alon Shaya has shared the rich culinary landscape of Israel through his acclaimed restaurants—Saba in New Orleans, Safta in Denver and the newest, Silan in the Bahamas. But, he says, it has been one of the greatest honors of his life to help preserve one family’s legacy through the Rescued Recipes series of dinners he’s hosting in cities across the country. Shaya began this project after discovering a recipe book from the Fenves family during a visit t...
Oct 19, 2023•29 min
Nick Graff joined Noodles & Company in 2014 and quickly advanced to the position he holds today as executive chef and VP of culinary. Along the way, he introduced scores of new ingredients, formats and global dishes. Among the standouts are veggie-based zoodles, stuffed pastas including tortelloni and ravioli in several flavor iterations, a high-protein pasta called leanguini, and Chicken Parmesan—Noodles’ first baked entrée and already a runaway best seller. He also introduced new equipment...
Oct 12, 2023•25 min
Steve Sturm, VP of Food & Beverage at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, has been with the polished casual concept for 23 years, steering and evolving the menu from its first restaurant in 2000 to its present-day count of 56 locations. The concept’s centerpiece is its wood-fired grill, which adds bold flavor, innovative prep and dramatic flair to everything it touches. Firebirds’ signature steaks, seafood and vegetables are all elevated on the grill, and this year, Sturm is using the cooking techni...
Oct 05, 2023•25 min
Paul Fehribach, chef-owner of Big Jones in Chicago, has operated a popular Southern restaurant since 2008, but he has always been enamored by Midwestern food. His roots are in Indiana, where German culinary traditions and farm-fresh ingredients defined meals. But the story behind the scope and diversity of Midwest cuisine has scarcely been told. Fehribach sets out to change that through “Midwestern Food,” a narrative cookbook many years in the making, published this month by University of Chicag...
Sep 28, 2023•33 min
Sharon Arthofer had a career in marketing, retail and the snack industry before she started fast-casual Sip Fresh in 2017, but she noticed a huge growth opportunity in the beverage segment. Instead of doing just another pressed juice concept, she hired mixologists to take it to the next level. They created a menu of unique, alcohol-free juice-based drinks with on-trend ingredients like dragon fruit, kiwi, chamoy and tajin—each artfully garnished like cocktails. “Sipologists” develop the recipes ...
Sep 21, 2023•22 min
Adam Crocini, VP and global head of food and beverage for Hilton hotels, is reimagining food and beverage service at all the company’s brands—from family-friendly Hampton Inn to the luxe Waldorf Astoria. With guests looking for more meaningful experiences post-pandemic, Crocini is leading the charge to create more chef partnerships in the hotel restaurants. José Andrés, Michael Mina and Nancy Silverton are already established in some Hilton properties, but “we have thousands of hotels around the...
Sep 14, 2023•31 min
Chicken Salad Chick started with one recipe created by an Alabama mom and has grown to more than 225 restaurants across the South, with units now open in Colorado and the Midwest as well. Its menu features more than a dozen variations of chicken salad, many named after their female creators or fans. Now, the chain has introduced its first warm sandwich: the Chick Melt. Based on a tuna melt but filled with—you guessed it, chicken salad—it’s the latest example of Chicken Salad Chick’s continuing d...
Sep 07, 2023•34 min
Eileen Andrade, chef-owner of the newly revamped Amelia’s 1931, started out in the fashion business. But she couldn’t resist the pull of her Cuban family’s restaurant legacy, especially that of her abuela Amelia, for whom the restaurant is named. Andrade renovated her grandmother’s diner in June, breaking through to the dry cleaner next door to add 100 seats, a trendy cocktail lounge and dazzling artistic touches. Her eclectic Asian-Latin menu pays homage to her family’s Cuban heritage, elevatin...
Aug 31, 2023•27 min
Amanda Stelly, general manager of Camp Margaritaville Breaux Bridge, remained unruffled when tasked with supervising the overhaul of food and beverage operations. She has deep experience as a restaurant manager, and even though the revamp had to be done in just a few months, she put one foot in front of the other and got it done. The Jimmy Buffet-branded Margaritaville venues were all in top operating order by the time the busy summer season started this year. These include the 5 O’Clock Somewhe...
Aug 24, 2023•24 min
Jeff Carcara, CEO of Sixty Vines, says he owes a lot to the Hillstone Restaurant Group, the hospitality company where he began his career. He followed that start with stints at innovative casual-dining players, including Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52 and Del Frisco. Carcara now leads Sixty Vines, an eight-location polished casual differentiated by its unique wine-on-tap initiative and vineyard-inspired global menu. The restaurant came onto his radar when he dined there as a guest and was wowed by th...
Aug 17, 2023•28 min
Scott McCurdy earned his culinary chops working as an executive chef in high-end restaurants, hotels and other segments of the industry. As director of culinary for US Foods since 2005, he’s now on the other side, tapping that experience to help operators, particularly independent restaurants, create smarter, more profitable menus. Scott McCurdy McCurdy is a “constant student of restaurants” to stay on top of the trends—a commitment that drives innovation and product development. Listen as he sh...
Aug 10, 2023•28 min
Hot honey may be the hottest condiment of the year, infusing restaurant menus across the country with sweet heat. Mike Kurtz first tasted hot honey on a pizza in Brazil in his early 20s and started making his own chili-infused honey in his Brooklyn apartment. He brought samples to Brooklyn pizzeria Paulie Gee’s and soon turned owner Paul Giannone onto the idea of drizzling his pies with hot honey. Fast forward 10-plus years, and Mike’s Hot Honey is now a staple on retailer’s shelves and in foods...
Aug 03, 2023•27 min
Eric Gabrynowicz, vice president of culinary for Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar, fell in love with knives and fire when he worked in a restaurant kitchen as a teenager. From there, he graduated from the CIA, worked for Danny Meyer at Union Square Cafe and Blue Smoke, and eventually helmed his own kitchen at North Restaurant in Westchester County, N.Y. But Gabrynowicz has always been obsessed with the flavors and passion that go into Southern food. When he landed at Tupelo Honey, he want...
Jul 27, 2023•30 min
Spike Mendelsohn is a celebrity chef, entrepreneur, TV personality and food policy activist, all of which come together in his newest ventures—PLNT Burger and Eat the Change. PLNT Burger, which serves up chef-curated, plant-based versions of burgers, soft-serve, chicken fingers and other fast-food favorites, currently has 10 locations and is on a growth trajectory. Meanwhile, Eat the Change, a healthy snack company Mendelsohn started with partner Seth Goldman, has launched packaged snacks such a...
Jul 20, 2023•28 min
Matthew Padilla, culinary director for True Food Kitchen, joined the full-service restaurant group last year and quickly started innovating the menu. This spring, he introduced over 30 new dishes, incorporating hyper-seasonal ingredients and inventive global flavors, with an updated summer menu close behind. To appeal to a broader audience, he transformed comfort-food favorites like burgers, pizza and pasta with healthier twists. Padilla also refreshed menu staples, including bowls, salads and d...
Jul 13, 2023•22 min
Fabio Viviani is a native of Florence, Italy, where he started working in restaurant kitchens at the age of 11. He learned the ropes of the hospitality industry by cooking in and managing Italian trattorias and restaurants, eventually moving to the U.S. when he was 27, where he opened and operated several restaurants in L.A. Over the next 15 or so years, Chef Viviani built a hospitality empire, developing more restaurants and related culinary businesses around the country in hotels, casinos, air...
Jul 06, 2023•22 min
“Chefwise: Life Lessons from Leading Chefs Around the World” is not a cookbook. In place of recipes, its pages are filled with insider insights from 117 chefs around the world, collected by author Shari Bayer. Bayer interviewed both well-known chefs like Tom Colicchio, Sean Brock, Alice Waters and Massimo Bottura, as well as rising stars, owners of Michelin-starred restaurants and operators of casual eateries. They share tips on everything from leadership strategies to team building, purchasing,...
Jun 29, 2023•27 min
Robert St. John is a restaurateur, chef, writer, philanthropist, international travel guide and TV personality—in short, a modern-day renaissance man. He opened his first restaurant, Purple Parrot Cafe, more than 30 years ago in Hattiesburg, Miss., turning the small Southern city into a dining destination. While that one closed during Covid, seven other restaurants remain in town and two more in the state capital of Jackson. The Midtowner is the newest, an all-day breakfast place serving St. Joh...
Jun 22, 2023•25 min
Yogurtland has developed more than 200 frozen yogurt flavors that rotate throughout the chain’s 220 locations at different times of the year. The company employs a team of flavorologists, who combine scientific knowledge, market research and their refined palates to create unique flavor profiles like Thai Tea, Blueberry Pancake, Decadent Dark Chocolate Orange and Irish Mint. Limited-time flavors launch frequently, but the chain’s tart flavor is still one of the best sellers. President Sam Yoon b...
Jun 15, 2023•29 min
Ford’s Garage is a 1920s gas station-themed burger and craft beer restaurant with a unique vibe. Chef Jessica Tomlinson landed at the 24-location, full-service concept after working in fine dining, baking and pastry, a farm-to-table restaurant and at Bloomin’ Brands. In a nostalgic setting filled with vintage vehicles, gas pumps and even a Model T car suspended above the bar, she offers a wide range of classic and creative comfort foods. House-made sauces and condiments, a Burger Hall of Fame an...
Jun 08, 2023•24 min
James Beard Award-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer heads up the kitchen at Kindling Downtown Cookout & Cocktails, a new 500-seat restaurant where almost every menu item touches the wood-fueled fire at some point in its culinary journey. That’s not an easy task, being that Kindling is housed in a soaring two-story space inside Chicago’s iconic Willis Tower, one of the tallest office buildings in the world. Although Sawyer graduated from culinary school, he previously studied to be an engineer—tra...
Jun 01, 2023•24 min
